Now that I have completed my 230 things I can collect my 16 CEUs, right? I can truthfully say that I have spent more time on these "Things" than any other CEU activity I have ever attempted. If anyone wants to lobby for increasing the 1.6, count me in. Now that I have that off my chest, it is time to reflect. Don't you just love those education buzzwords? Like every other "innovation", these Things should all be evaluated objectively. Some teachers will embrace them and invent new and exciting ways to use them in the classroom and beyond. Some would have to be dragged kicking and screaming to even get near these Things. Most will end up somewhere in between those two extremes. The bottom line for me is, as it has always been, does all this new technology increase student learning? The answer is, of course, maybe. Like any other tool, technology can help teachers accomplish goals if used properly. If it is used for its own sake, it can become a colossal waste of time and money. Of all the information presented in this activity, there was one in Thing 19 that that really bothers me. The presentation was titled, "Giving the Students What They Want: Short to-the-Point e-Lectures." To that I say, "don't give them what they want, give them what they need."
It is certainly easy to spend a great deal of time with these tools - we hear you! You make a good point that we really need to keep coming back to - what is the value of these tools in terms of students? This is the guiding question that should always be at the root of any decision to plan instruction. It's been fun sailing along with you - Here's to "fair winds" in the future!
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